Windstar Cruises celebrated the first steel cutting as part of its $250 million Star Plus initiative at Fincantieri's shipyard in Trieste, Italy on Wednesday.
The Seattle-based small ship cruise line's Vice President of Expansion Projects, John Gunner pushed the button to activate the torch to make the ceremonial first cut into the new steel that will become the first of three new ship sections for Star Breeze, Star Legend and Star Pride.
Announced last fall, the extensive project will see each of the three ships be cut to allow the installation of a new mid-body section that will lengthen each vessel by approximately 84 feet to allow for new suites and other amenities like a new pool area, restaurants, a spa and wellness center and enhanced "living room deck space."
The expanded ships will be able to accommodate 312 guests and additional staff will be hired to maintain Windstar's 1.5 to 1 guest to service staff ratio.
The work begins with Star Breeze in October 2019 and wraps up with the departure of the Star Pride from the yard in November 2020. The new sections will be fabricated from April through September and then shipped in October.
Star Breeze is scheduled to be completed in time for her arrival for re-inaugural activities at the Port of Miami on March 19, 2020.
"This is not about just cutting a ship in half and making it bigger. We are replacing the engines and 'back of house' too so that these ships deliver on their promise of visiting smaller ports and special waterways of the world with a softer environmental footprint for generations to come," said Gunner in a statement.
"The considerable experience gained with major naval projects undertaken over recent years and the Windstar program that we are officially starting consolidates Fincantieri's position as the reference point worldwide for this kind of highly sophisticated and complex operations," added Andrew Toso, Vice President Ship Repair and Conversion of the Fincantieri Services Division, in a statement.
"We are very proud that Windstar, a prestigious new client for our company, has chosen us for these strategic works which will require an extremely high level of engineering competence and project management."
Reservations are open for cruises aboard the post-Star Plus Initiative Star Breeze and Star Legend, including Star Breeze's Colors of Key West & Central America 10-day voyage from Miami to Colon, Panama on March 20, 2020.
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